Finally!

Monday is my call-back mammogram.  I'm not worried.  Well, not much, anyways. 

I just treated soooo many women with breast cancer yesterday.  Friday is breast cancer clinic, so i give a lot of AC, Taxol and Herceptin.  I look at these women, and I think, they are just like me!  All of them were just living their lives and either found a lump or had a suspicious mammogram.  Sucks!  I luv 'em all to death!  They are brave and committed.  They have to be....  After AC for 4 cycles (4 months), they may receive weekly Taxol for 6 months.  Yeek!  They lose their hair.  They live from one clinic visit to the next.  It takes so much of their life!  And those that get Herceptin....  It's an easy drug to take, but it goes on forever!  I dunno.....

So what, you ask, is AC?  Adriamycin and Cytoxan.  Adriamycin, commonly known as the "Red Death" is a nasty little drug that has nasty side effects.  Course, nowdays, we have wonderful medications that prevent nausea and such.  But, when you wake up 2 weeks after your first treatment with hair all over your pillow, it just doesn't feel good.  Adriamycin is also cardio-toxic.  So, it kills the cancer, and, if given enough, the heart, as well.  Thus....Red Death.  Cytoxan is the other drug and it is also toxic, but to the bladder.  I'm not talking about side effects.  These are toxicities!  That means, if given high doses of this drug, and not enough hydration fluids, the bladder can turn to hamburger.  It's called hemorrhagic cystitis.  Not fun!  Then the Taxol makes life a little easier, except for the potential for hypersensitivity reaction.  That happens during infusion, and can be anywhere from itching and hives to anaphylactic shock.  But, if you tolerate that ok, the side effects are not as bad.  No toxicities, other than peripheral neuropathy.  Oh, yeh, that is when your fingers and toes go numb and tingly.  You can't button your own shirts any more, or even write with a pencil.  That doesn't cause the drug to be stopped, only dose reduced.  Then when you finally get done with your years worth of chemo, if you are still alive, you get a purple heart award and nurses with bad voices sing for you.  And, there is a magic wand waved over your head for good luck and hair growth.  That usually brings a smile!

So, if worse comes to worst, will this be in my future?  Probably.  And my choice will likely be to be treated in my own clinic cuz I know the nurses and trust them.  Well, all except for that one.......  But, on the other hand, I really don't think anything will come of this.  After all, this is not the first call-back I have had, prolly won't be the last.